Eugene henry gibbs



(No Model.

B. H. 3133s. DRAW IRON FOR WAGONS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886'.

Wu 65296 a N PETERS. PhcO-Lilhognphnr. Washington. ac

siren] STATES PATENT 'rrrcea EUGENE HENRY GIBBS, OF LUDLOW, VERMONT,ASSIGNOR TO THE LUDLOVV TOY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAW-IRON FOR WAGONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,393, dated March 9,1886.

Application filed October 2. 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE HENRY GIBBS, of Ludlow, \Vindsor county,Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inDraw-Irons for Small Wagons like Boys Express-Wagons, 8rd, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is designed to provide a simple and effective connectionbetween the handle and the axle or body of a wagon of the kind referredto in the preceding paragraph, a connection which will permit the handleto be readily removed whenever desired, but which at the same time willforbid its removal so long as the wagon is in its natural or normalposition.

To this end theinvention consists in providing the body or axle of thewagon with irons, termed for convenience sake axleirons, provided eachwith ahole or hearing and with aslot communicating therewith, but of awidth less than the diameter of the hole or hearing, and in combiningwith said axle-irons What may be termed a draw-iron -that is to say, ametallic piece to which the tongue or handle is attached-said draw-i ronbeing provided at its rear end with laterally-extending journals toenter the bearings in the axle-irons, and with radial fins or lugs onthe outer ends of said journals which must pass through the slots in theaxle-irons before the journals can enter to proper place in theirbearings. The fins or lugs and the slots are so placed with respect toone another that the handle must be brought to a position at about rightangles with the body of the wagon before they (the lugs and slots) willregister; and it is preferred to thus locate them in such manner thatthey can be brought into register only by lowering the handle-or, inother words, by raising the wagon from the ground. This insures theengagement of the draw-iron wit-h the axle-irons so long as the wagonrests on the ground in its natural position; and in order to effect thedisengagement of the two requires that the wagon should first be liftedfrom the ground a distance sufficient to allow the tongue to drop tovertical or approximately vertical position.

The nature of the invention and the manner in which the same is or maybe carried into I Serial No. 178,796. (No model.)

effect will be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a boysexpress-wagon embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe draw-iron detached. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the front portionof the wagon and the handle in the position which they assume withrespect to one another when the draw-iron is in position to bedisengaged from the axle-irons.

From the front ofthe front axle of the wagon project two axle-irons, A,formed each with a hole, a, and with a horizontal slot, b, whichcommunicates with and extends back from the rear of the hole. The holesare the bearings for the journals of the draw-iron hereinbefore referredto, and the slots are to permit the passage of the fins or lugs on saidjournals.

The-draw-iron is shown at B. It is provided at front with a centralextension or tongue recessed on its under side for the reception of thewooden handle C, andhaving holes through which pass the screws by whichthe handle is held to the draw-iron. At the rear of the draw-iron is across-bar, the laterally-projecting and cylindrical ends cof which formjournals to fit the holes or bearings a in the axleirons; and thesejournals are provided each with a radial fin or lug, (Z. The crossbar isof such length that its journals 0 will project through and beyond theaxle-irons when the draw-iron is in place, and the lugs d are suchdistance apart from one another that when the draw-iron is thus placedthey will come just outside of the axle-irons and so prevent end play ofthe journals in the axle-irons so long as the lugs are not in registerwith the slots 1).

The journals 0 themselves are of such length that when one of them isinserted to its full length into and through its bearing in one of 0 theangle-irons, the outer end of the other one will come just inside of theopposite axle-iron. Finally, the slots 12, as above said,are horizontal,and the lugs dareso placed that when the handle or draw iron is in placeand held hori- 5 zontally or in line with the wagon they will extenddownward vertically or at about right angles to the slots 1), asindicated in Fig. 1.

The manner of fitting the draw-iron to and removing it from the axle ofthe wagon will be Leo apparent from the foregoing description and doesnot require detailed explanation.

WVhen the two are fitted together, as seen in Fig. 1, it is manifestthat so long as the wagon rests on the ground in its natural positionthe handle cannot be brought to aposition in which the lugs willregister with the slots. To bring about the result last named, the wagonor its front axle must be raised far enough to permit the handle to dropto the position indicated in Fig. 3. When the parts are brought to thatposition, it is easy by a lateral movement to disengage and remove thedraw-iron from the wagon.

I have hereinbefore indicated that my improvement is designed moreparticularly with reference to the needs of small vehic1es-such as boysexpress-wagons, 850. The method of connection or attachment which I haveinvented is, however, applicable also to wagons as well as sleighs ofother kinds, and I desire to be understood as including this applicationin my claim.

It will also be noted that by reason of the construction and arrangementof parts the body of the draw-iron does not project laterally beyond theaxle-irons, and that the lugs alone serve to prevent end-play of thedrawiron in its bearings.

I do not claim, broadly, the combination of journal-irons provided withlugs, with coupling-irons formed with bearings and communicating-slots;but,

Having now described the invention and the manner in which the same isor may be carried into efi'ect,what is claimed as new is as follows:

l. The axle-ironsformed with lateral openings or bearings andcommunicating-slots, as described, in combination with the draw-ironformed with laterally and outwardly-extending end journals and lugsadapted topass endwise through said bearings and slots, said lugs beingplaced at such distance apart that when the journals are in place in thebearings the lugs shall be on the exterior opposite faces of theaxle-irons, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the wagon-body, the axleirons provided withbearings and communioating-slots, the tongue or handle, and thedraw-iron provided with laterally and outwardly extending journals toenter said bearings, and with lugs to pass through said slots placed atsuch distance apart that when the drawiron is in place they shallembrace between them the axle-irons, substantially as and for thepurposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 28th day ofSeptember, 1885.

EUGENE HENRY GIBBS.

Witnesses:

W. W. STIOKNEY, ALVA G. Peon.

